generative grammar
nounUK /ˈdʒenərətɪv ˈɡræmə/
US /ˈdʒenərətɪv ˈɡræmər/
A set of rules that can make all the sentences of a language.
Noam Chomsky introduced generative grammar to explain how people create new sentences.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A theory that language ability is built into the human mind.
Generative grammar suggests that children are born ready to learn language.
3. A way of describing language using mathematical rules.
The class studied generative grammar as a formal model of sentence structure.
4. The study of how sentences are formed from smaller parts.
Her research in generative grammar focuses on how phrases combine.